South Lakes JROTC Training Future Leaders

Ostensibly, the JROTC, the elective program in place in more than 1,600 high schools nationwide, seems like a military organization.

However, there is no military service required with the program, says Anthony Casipit, Fairfax County Public Schools' JROTC  program coordinator. At its core, the program is about leadership.

The Army JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) has been around since 1916. JROTC now has 1,645 schools in every state in the nation and American schools overseas. Cadet enrollment has grown to 281,000 cadets and 4,000 professional instructors.

The JROTC program was once looked upon primarily as a source of enlisted recruits and officer candidates, but over time it became a citizenship program devoted to the moral, physical and educational uplift of American youth, says the JROTC's website.

Although the program retained its military structure,  it shed most of its early military content, JROTC says.

JROTC cadets study of ethics, citizenship, communications, leadership and life skills. At l, 120 JROTC cadets participate in the four-year elective class taught by Maj. Joseph Shuler, a retired Army officer.

"Our goal is to make young people better citizens and to teach life skills," he said.  "These cadets are our future leaders."

 That focus on discipline and order draws many students to the JROTC door.

"I love this class," said South Lakes student Nathalia Salvatierra, who enrolled as sophomore.  "I found out who I was in JROTC.  I have more confidence and more self-esteem."

Salvatierra takes IB Spanish, History, English, and Physics and runs the JROTC public relations.  Her goal is to study nuclear engineering on a ROTC scholarship at Virginia Tech. 

"JROTC turned her life around 180 degrees," says Salvatierra's mother, Faride Abuid. "She is so motivated."

Besides the class time and homework, cadets spend hours after school at marching practice, competing in intramural flag football games or running an after-school club for students.  Summer camp at Fort AP Hill rounds out the year-round extracurricular options.

JROTC serves the Reston community year-round. Led by senior Battalion Commander Sandra Renoso, they recently marched in the , volunteered for the and posted the colors at football games and other school events.